Platonics Ark: World's First 3D Printer Designed For Architects

The instruments for presenting the concepts of architects have been revolutionized through the development of Platonics Ark. It is the worldâ€™s first 3D printer designed specifically to meet the needs of architects.

The developer, Platonics, is based in Helsinki, Finland. The company has been creating the first 3D printer for architects for almost two years. Its goal is to make 3D printing efficient, easy, and fast for architects, and now, the company has come up with the first 3D printer that would transform architectsâ€™ ideas into reality.

The Ark could print drawings made directly from the Archicad, Revit, Sketchup, Rhino, and Vectorworks. It can print fast and easy in 3D in just a matter of minutes with its time-saving software. The printer requires minimal maintenance, self-calibrates, self-configures, and automatically cleans itself. Its software could also convert the CAD files into 3D printable STL files and fix any errors. Its web application is compatible with all OS and it is an open filament system, according to Platonicsâ€™ website.

Platonics Ark printer is best for printing a model for a certain drawing such as a house or any edifice or its part. This could properly present the architectâ€™s design to clients, in which they could better understand the concept of the architect for the proposed project. It will definitely help the architects as well as the clients to determine the best ideas for the project resulting in a successful development.

Platonics explains that a model in three dimensions says more than a thousand renderings and drawings; traditional modeling often takes a lot of effort and time and it is mostly done only once or twice during a project. Platonics added that with 3D printing, you can use scale models at each stage of your design process efficiently.

â€œ2D drawings and 3D renderings transform an idea into a project, but scale models turn a project into a reality in the mind of the beholder,â€� said Platonics.

According to 3Ders, the printer could use various materials in printing the models. These include wood, matte, transparent, clay, terracotta, copper, concrete, granite, and bronze materials.

Currently, Platonics has launched an Indiegogo campaign for the crowdfunding of the printer. As of now, the printer is only available in Europe through Indiegogo. The pricing for first backers starts from â‚¬2,095 or about $2,472. The deliveries for early backers are slated in April 2018.